Each type of ink has a different viscosity, also known as tack, which is why measuring the tack of ink is crucial. It determines how ink behaves on the press, including how evenly it distributes over the roller and whether it's suitable for specific types of paper. Excessive tack could potentially loosen fibers on the paper's surface and affect the ink's color sequence on the printing press. For instance, with a four-color press, the tack value of inks on consecutive towers needs to be slightly lower to prevent the last ink layer from pulling the previous one off the paper.
The Quali-Inkometer™ Intelligent System is specifically engineered to gauge the apparent tack of printing ink under conditions closely resembling the dynamic conditions of a printing press's ink-distribution system. It also measures the integrated forces involved in ink film splitting, considering factors like roller speed, film thickness, temperature, and solvent evaporation.
This Inkometer includes three rollers: a temperature-controlled brass center roller, an oscillating rubber composition distribution roller at the bottom, and a rubber composition top roller attached to the measuring system for tack measurement. All rollers are suitable for testing both standard and UV inks, with the brass roller's temperature regulated by circulating a coolant mixture from a thermostatic bath.
